New Delhi: The queen of Indian tracks or the golden girl, as she is often called – PT Usha has come a long way. The now retired Indian track and field athlete has won several national and international awards for the country, making everyone proud to be back home. On his recent collaboration with the fast food chain, the veteran athlete talks about his journey, favorite food and inspiring names from sports in an exclusive interview with Zee News Digital:
> What is your fitness routine these days?
a. It is important to follow and maintain a balanced lifestyle. A routine for athletes especially demands hard work and there is certainly no substitute for hard work. I follow a disciplined routine in my daily life as well. However, fitness is not just limited to physical health, but mental health is equally important. I try to work towards building a healthy body and mind every day as it comes.
> How did you become the ‘Golden Girl’? Please share insight.
a. I am associated with sports since 1976 and my passion for the same helped me to get my first Rs 250 scholarship from Kerala State Government. My coach Om Nambiar played a major role in shaping my career as an athlete. He put his trust in me more than anyone else, myself included. Under his guidance, I learned to harness momentum and imbibe it as a personal trait. I’ve managed to incorporate much of the speed lesson into my experience as an athlete. When I first started on my journey, neither I nor my family knew what was in store for me. I was dealing with health and financial issues at the same time. However, I decided to remain firm and flexible in my approach while dealing with the odds and managed to achieve international fame when I was only 22 years old.
> Why did you say yes to be the star face of KFC’s campaign?
a. I have fond memories of KFC. While I always enjoyed eating KFC, whenever I went out of the country, I used to go to KFC for that golden and crispy fried chicken. When I heard about the Express pick-up service, I knew it would be a dream come true for chicken-lovers like me who hated waiting to get their hands on a KFC bucket of chicken. And for a service that promises to deliver takeaway orders in 7 minutes, I had to be a part of it given my love for speed. This is a great service by KFC and like all chicken-lovers, I am also excited to be a part of this campaign.
spot answer:
Your favorite food: Being from Kerala, I love fish chili, a dish that I love to cook as well as eat. I also thoroughly enjoy KFC’s Hot and Crispy Chicken.
Your favorite game: No matter what, track and field will always be my favorite place
Movies or web series: I like to watch movies in my free time.
Most Inspiring Athletes: Neeraj Chopra has definitely boosted the morale of our national level athletes and I am definitely looking forward to see what he has in store for us.
M Sreeshankar might also be a big surprise, considering his age, we must acknowledge him for the big leaps he is responsible for.
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